Greetings to the members,

I got admitted to Tepper School of Business with 90k scholarship and to Olin Business School with 100k scholarship.
The difference in overall fee structure will be around $26k more for Tepper.
Also, Pittsburgh is slightly more expensive when compared to Olin.

Considering all points, please share opinions on which school will be a better choice for me.

I highly appreciate all the suggestions. Thank you so much.

Posted from my mobile device

Congratulations on your admits


Even without knowing what your goals are, I feel it’s a pretty good deal for a top 20 NBA but what Tepper had offered you. You can easily go into tech or if you were so inclined into consulting.

Is 24k or $30,000 a small amount of money? No not at all. But if you take a look at the overall cost and the opportunity cost, without a scholarship that’s easily $300,000 over the two years. So the difference is really about 10% can you get a much stronger name was Tepper and CMU brand as well.

Your recruiting will be more productive and less frustrating with more opportunities on campus as well as international brand recognition.

This would be my vote.

PS. Depending on your background and brands on your résumé, if you have a very strong brand names and you’re not making a pivot in your career, I can say perhaps the brand name of your business school doesn’t matter as much and you can leverage your brands on the résumé and your formal work experience and basically get a stamp NBA on top of it. But most people do have a pivot and most people do need all the power they can get in recruiting.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

bb Thank you so much for responding. Honestly, my vote goes to Tepper too. I just wanted to have some expert’s opinions to make sure that I’m making the right choice.

Posted from my mobile device

I get it. I think it’s a pretty strong case for Tepper. Nothings ever black-and-white per se, but in this case, it doesn’t seem to be practical to trade for the bigger scholarship. Even finding a job three months sooner that let’s say pays the same amount, would likely pay back your difference. Or you could theoretically argue that you could get a better job out of Tepper and and I think he would be not incorrect to state that. At the same time, you don’t get a job just because you have a certain degree name on your résumé, it’s about what you bring to the table yourself but a stronger brand gives you a lot more opportunities and a bit more forgiveness and more fire power at the end of the day.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

bb I totally agree with you on this. A prestigious brand definitely gives a strong edge.
I come from healthcare background and want to explore consulting role post-MBA. Tepper will definitely help me in that.

Thank you so much for making my decision easier.

Posted from my mobile device

I am a big Tepper and Olin fan. WashU is making great strides and has a very strong undergrad and law school. Their business school is right there in regards to breaking the Top 25.

That said, Carnegie Mellon and Tepper hold more weight in the business world so I would lean towards Tepper.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

FinanceMan Thank you for finding time to write a response.
I agree with you on Tepper. The cost factor was making me have second thoughts. I paid both the deposits at Olin.

With expert’s opinions, it will be easy to convince my family.

Posted from my mobile device

Do you happen to know if you can get into Business School for free? I have very good knowledge and I can prove it, but I'm not sure that I can pull the price that the school requires. I don't even know what to do.

Totally agree with bb's points. Not to mention that the gap between Tepper's and Olin's ranks has been growing over the last few years.

Also, my brother's an Olin MBA grad and I go to Tepper currently and from our experiences, it seems like Tepper's Career Center is more proactive and connected than Olin's (although my brother graduated 6 years ago).

And in case you're an international, Tepper's MBA offers STEM certification without any additional credits and I understand Olin's requires additional credits and STEM could go a long way if you're planning to work in the US post graduation.

Posted from my mobile device
_________________

Thank you firas92 for sharing your experience. I am an international student and STEM certification is definitely important for me.

Posted from my mobile device

Hello Harshii,

Tepper is a great brand and without a doubt, you must go ahead with the same. That you come from a healthcare background and wish to go ahead with consulting also makes the school such a great sync. The brand value and location will help you with the placement process and networking opportunities even further.

All the best!
_________________